Peter Dindinger — NMMI Sports Press
Behind six home runs and 26 total hits on Day 2, the New Mexico Military Institute Bronco baseball team was able to take three games out of four from the Frank Phillips College Plainsmen by sweeping the series finale Sunday afternoon at NMMI Ballpark.
The Broncos belted five home runs in Game 3 to win 13-3 in six innings. NMMI's pitching staff held the Plainsmen to four hits to come away with the 7-5 victory in the series finale.
This is the first conference series in which the Broncos win the series three games to four.
"The guys needed a series win because we've been battling, having some rough weekends," said NMMI head coach Chris Cook. "Some guys stayed on some off speed pitches pretty well this weekend."
To start Game 3, Frank Phillips took a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Hayden Smith in the top of the second.
NMMI rallied for three runs in the bottom half of the second to take a 3-1 lead.
Dylan Shea tied up the game with a solo home run. Rhett Stokes followed up with an RBI triple while B.Y. Choi hit an RBI double to center.
The Broncos increased their lead to three runs with a leadoff solo home run by Stokes in the fourth.
In the bottom of the fifth, NMMI pushed across six runs by belting three home runs in the inning to up the score to 10-1.
Albert Oliva Velez started the rally with a two-run homer to left. Diego Solis then blasted a three-run home run.
Owen Alsup later hit a solo home run to deep center.
Frank Phillips tacked on two more runs in the top of the sixth after a two RBI single by Callon Farr.
NMMI added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Stokes drove in Shea on a fielder's choice while Alsup drew a bases-loaded walk.
The final run was scored after Guillermo Borquez was hit by pitch with the bases full.
NMMI out hit the Plainsmen 14-6.
Stokes finished 3 for 4 with two triples, a home run and three RBI while Alsup went 2 for 3 with a single, homer and two RBI.
Oliva tallied a double and a home run along with two RBI to go 2 for 4.
Five Broncos tallied a multi-hit game.
Megumi Fukuda notched the victory after allowing three hits and one earned run in three innings while striking out four.
In Game 4, Drew Price tossed a one-hitter in five innings pitched. Despite walking seven batters, Price allowed only two earned runs.
The Broncos took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second on an RBI double by Armando Ramirez Jr.
Frank Phillips pushed across two runs in the top of the second to take a 2-1 lead. Cory Bonstrom hit an RBI single while Blake Wilhoite drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to left.
NMMI regained the lead by a score of 4-2 in the bottom half of the second. Trotter Boston tied up the game with a leadoff solo home run.
Choi then hit a clutch two RBI double.
The Broncos added three more runs in the fourth after an RBI single by Borquez, an RBI triple by Alsup and another RBI double by Ramirez.
NMMI had 12 hits to Frank Phillips' four.
Stokes finished 3 for 3 with two singles, a double and two walks. Ramirez went 3 for 5 with a single, two doubles and two RBI.
Boston was walked three times as he went 1 for 2 with an RBI.
Henrique Date earned the save after allowing one earned run in a hitless ninth inning.
"That's not a bad team," Cook added. "Game 4 was a game that they did a good job of minimizing the opportunities that we had. We had some at bats that got away from us.
"Hopefully they can keep that momentum rolling through the last two weeks."
>> UP NEXT: NMMI hosts New Mexico Junior College for the final home stand. The four-game series begins Friday at noon.
Game 3
NMMI 13, Frank Phillips 3 (6)
FRANK…010002 — 3 6 2
NMMI….030163 — 13 14 0
Rijnaldo Euson, Jouthan Sierra (3), Edwin Gomez (5), Kevin Lacivita (5), Nick Flores (6). Megumi Fukuda, Adrian Rubio (4). W — Fukuda. L — Sierra. 2B — NMMI: Jesh Leckey, Albert Oliva Velez. 3B — NMMI: Rhett Stokes (2). HR — NMMI: Owen Alsup, Albert Oliva Velez, Dylan Shea, Diego Solis, Rhett Stokes.
Game 4
NMMI 7, Frank Phillips 5 (9)
FRANK…020001101 — 5 4 0
NMMI...13030000x — 7 12 0
Coleman Junell, Casey Kelly (4), Dalton Hitt (5), Zach Westbrook (8). Drew Price, Demitrius DiMatteo (6), Saul Rocha (7), Henrique Date (9). W — Price. SV — Date. L — Junell. 2B — FPC: Chris Perez; NMMI: B.Y. Choi, Armando Ramirez Jr. (2), Rhett Stokes. 3B — NMMI: Owen Alsup. HR — FPC: Cade Zalewski; NMMI: Trotter Boston.
Records — Frank Phillips College (14-31, 7-21); NMMI (23-24, 9-15).